<h2>A Different Take</h2>
Amidst all the talk about how artificial intelligence (AI) is threatening society with great harm—beginning with taking over human-held jobs and then, eventually, becoming more intelligent and taking over the entire world—some experts believe that AI shouldn&#8217;t be feared. Foremost among these experts is Google&#8217;s director of engineering and notable &#8220;future teller&#8221; Ray Kurzweil, who has said time and again that the technological singularity won&#8217;t necessarily go down as expected.
Kurzweil discussed the future of AI at the <a href="https://www.cfr.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Council on Foreign Relations</a> (CFR) in Washington, D.C. on Friday. And, while he agreed with Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk who warned of the potential &#8220;existential risks&#8221; a super-intelligent AI could bring, Kurzweil said that humanity would be able to overcome these &#8220;difficult episodes,&#8221; if they ever actually happen.
He continued by noting that scientific and technological advancements always come with inherent risks and that AI should not be considered any more (or less) of a threat. &#8220;Technology has always been a double-edged sword. Fire kept us warm, cooked our food and burned down our houses,&#8221; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7nK1HVJsj4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kurzweil said</a>, using the example: &#8220;World War II – 50 million people died, and that was certainly exacerbated by the power of technology at that time.&#8221;
Addressing the concerns over job displacement due to intelligent automation, Kurzweil reiterated<a href="https://futurism.com/ray-kurzweil-says-machines-wont-take-over-our-jobs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> a point he previously explained to </a><a href="https://futurism.com/ray-kurzweil-says-machines-wont-take-over-our-jobs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fortune</a>. He argued that, while there will be jobs lost, newer ones will be created. What these are, he obviously doesn&#8217;t know since they haven&#8217;t been invented yet.
He stated his main point by noting that, ultimately, AI will benefit us in the same way that previous technologies have. &#8220;My view is not that AI is going to displace us,&#8221; he said at the CFR. &#8220;It’s going to enhance us. It does already.&#8221;
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<h2>Living With Machines</h2>
Indeed, for Kurzweil, the singularity, if it happens, won&#8217;t be a machine takeover. Instead, he predicts it to become more like a co-existence, where machines reinforce human abilities. Kurzweil predicts that a hybrid AI would become available by the 2030s. This hybrid AI, he explained, would allow human beings to tap directly into the cloud with just their brains, using what he called a neocortex connection. Kurzweil previously predicted that part of<a href="https://futurism.com/kurzweil-by-2030-nanobots-will-flow-throughout-our-bodies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> this reinforcement would come from nanobots</a>, which he said would flow throughout our bodies by 2030.
In short, according to Kurzweil, there will be a melding of humans and machines as a result of the singularity and the growth of AI. Kurzweil said that we&#8217;re already experiencing this with our smartphones, which he referred to as &#8220;brain extenders.&#8221; He told the audience at CFR, &#8220;I mean, who can do their work without these brain extenders we have today? And that’s going to continue to be the case.”
Kurzweil added that, aside from connecting the human brain to machines via the cloud, these neocortex technologies would also allow humans to connect to another person&#8217;s neocortex. As a result, humans would become smarter and funnier. The technological singularity, he argued, would lead to a more diverse group of thinkers and would allow for a deeper expansion into humanity&#8217;s various expertise.
So, instead of making us obsolete, Kurzweil predicts that, as machines become more intelligent, humanity will also grow to become smarter. We could only hope that Kurzweil is correct in this prediction.

Ray Kurzweil: "AI will not displace humans, it's going to enhance us"

Portrait with digital manipulation

Artificial Intelligence

Ray Kurzweil, chief engineer for Google and famous futurist, spoke in a discussion held at the Council on Foreign Relations on Friday.

Ray Kurzweil: "AI Will Not Displace Humans, It's Going to Enhance Us"

More intelligent AI will also make us smarter. 

Ray Kurzweil: “AI Will Not Displace Humans, It’s Going to Enhance Us”

Ray Kurzweil sits down with his greatest skeptic.

Ray Kurzweil predicts the exact year singularity will occur

Ray Kurzweil keynote address.

Future Society

Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with futurist Ray Kurzweil to discuss the coming of the Singularity, the point where machines will be smarter than humans.

Ray Kurzweil Predicts the Exact Year Singularity Will Occur

<h2>The Futurist</h2>
<a class="" href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/mbtv-the-singular-vision-of-ray-kurzweil-prophet-of-both-techno-doom-and-techno-salvation">Motherboard</a> has called Ray Kurzweil &#8220;a prophet of both techno-doom and techno-salvation.&#8221; With a little wiggle room given to the timelines the author, inventor, computer scientist, futurist, and director of engineering at Google provides, a full 86 percent of his predictions — including the fall of the Soviet Union, the growth of the internet, and the ability of computers to beat humans at chess — have come to fruition.
Kurzweil continues to share his visions for the future, and his latest prediction was made at the most recent <a href="https://futurism.com/kurzweil-claims-that-the-singularity-will-happen-by-2045/">SXSW Conference</a>, where he claimed that the Singularity — the moment when technology becomes smarter than humans — will happen by 2045. Sixteen years prior to that, it will be just as smart as us. As he told Futurism, &#8220;2029 is the consistent date I have predicted for when an AI will pass a valid Turing test and therefore achieve human levels of intelligence.&#8221;
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Kurzweil&#8217;s vision of the future doesn&#8217;t stop at the Singularity. He has also predicted how technologies, such as nanobots and brain-to-computer interfaces like <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-just-outlined-how-hell-merge-the-human-brain-and-ai/">Elon Musk&#8217;s </a><a class="" href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-just-outlined-how-hell-merge-the-human-brain-and-ai/">Neuralink</a> or <a href="https://futurism.com/hacking-intelligence-this-company-wants-to-put-a-computer-in-your-brain/">Bryan Johnson&#8217;s Kernel</a>, will affect our bodies, leading to a possible future in which both our brains and our entire beings are mechanized.
This process could start with science fiction-level leaps in virtual reality (VR) technology. He predicts VR will advance so much that physical workplaces will become a thing of the past. Within a few decades, our commutes could just become a matter of strapping on a headset.
As <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/30913-8-staggering-predictions-ray-kurzweil">Inverse</a><a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/30913-8-staggering-predictions-ray-kurzweil"> points out</a>, this paradigm shift could have some interesting consequences. Without the need for people to live close to work, we could see unprecedented levels of deurbanization. People will no longer need to flock to large cities for work or be tethered to a specific location. Inverse suggests that this decentralization may decrease the opportunity for terrorist attacks. <a href="https://futurism.com/blockchain-will-upend-societys-most-sacred-institutions-heres-how/?src=featured">Blockchain technology</a> will continue to bolster decentralization as well.
<h2>Eternal Life</h2>
According to Kurzweil, technology will not only enable us to rethink the modern workplace, it will also give us the ability to replace our biology with more substantial hardware. He predicts that by the early 2030s, we will be able to copy human consciousness onto an electronic medium.
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As Inverse puts it, &#8220;That means no more flesh, blood, or bones — just a scan of your brain on a machine — and [it] will enable humans to take any form, from a box to a bird.&#8221; The even bigger implication of this ability is that humans will no longer die. As our brains will no longer be reliant on fragile biology, we could (theoretically) live forever.
Not all of Kurzweil&#8217;s predictions are so drastic, and some seem even more likely to come to fruition. For example, his prediction of truly ubiquitous WiFi is well on its way to becoming reality, especially with <a href="https://futurism.com/spacex-just-laid-out-a-plan-to-give-everyone-internet-access/">Elon Musk&#8217;s announcement</a> that he hopes to beam the internet across the globe from space, and his belief that many of the diseases currently plaguing humanity will be eradicated by the 2020s also seems remarkably possible given ever more frequent <a href="https://futurism.com/breakthrough-initiative-will-grow-organs-and-regenerate-human-tissue/" target="_blank">medical breakthroughs</a>.
Kurzweil envisions a future that is exciting, daunting, and a little bit terrifying all at once. Time will tell if his impressive batting average will improve or if the future has other plans for humanity.

HUMAN PROFILES ON CIRCUIT BOARD

The tech prophet envisions an exhilarating future for humanity.

Ray Kurzweil’s Most Exciting Predictions About the Future of Humanity

His past predictions were 86% accurate. Will he be right about these, too?

<h2>Kurzweil&#8217;s Predictions</h2>
Ray Kurzweil, Google&#8217;s Director of Engineering, is a well-known futurist with a high-hitting track record for accurate predictions. Of his 147 predictions since the 1990s, Kurzweil claims an 86 percent accuracy rate. At the <a href="https://www.sxsw.com/">SXSW Conference</a> in Austin, Texas, Kurzweil made yet another prediction: the technological singularity will happen sometime in the next 30 years.
In a communication to Futurism, Kurzweil states:
<blockquote>2029 is the consistent date I have predicted for when an AI will pass a valid Turing test and therefore achieve human levels of intelligence. I have set the date 2045 for the &#8216;Singularity&#8217; which is when we will multiply our effective intelligence a billion fold by merging with the intelligence we have created.</blockquote>
“By 2029, computers will have human-level intelligence,” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SXSWFestival/videos/10154414699178994/" target="_blank">Kurzweil said</a> in an interview with SXSW.
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<a href="https://futurism.com/singularity-explain-it-to-me-like-im-5-years-old/" target="_blank">The singularity</a> is that point in time when all the advances in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), will lead to machines that are smarter than human beings. Kurzweil&#8217;s timetable for the singularity is consistent with other predictions,– notably those of Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, who predicts that the dawn of <a href="https://futurism.com/softbank-ceo-the-singularity-will-happen-by-2047/" target="_blank">super-intelligent machines will happen by 2047</a>. But for Kurzweil, the process towards this singularity has already begun.
“That leads to computers having human intelligence, our putting them inside our brains, connecting them to the cloud, expanding who we are. Today, that’s not just a future scenario,” Kurzweil said. “It’s here, in part, and it’s going to accelerate.”
<h2>To Fear or Not to Fear?</h2>
We all know it is coming sooner or later, but the question in the minds of almost everyone is: should humanity fear the singularity? Everyone knows that when machines become smarter than human beings, they tend to take over the world. Right? Many of the world&#8217;s science and technology bigwigs — like Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, and even Bill Gates — warn about this kind of future.
Well, Kurzweil doesn&#8217;t think so. In fact, he isn&#8217;t particularly worried about the singularity. It would be more accurate to say that <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/" target="_blank">he&#8217;s been looking forward to it</a>. What science fiction depicts as the singularity — at which point a single brilliant AI enslaves humanity — is just that: fiction.
“That’s not realistic,” Kurzweil said during his interview with SXSW. &#8220;We don’t have one or two AIs in the world. Today we have billions.”
For Kurzweil, the singularity is an opportunity for humankind to improve. He envisions the same technology that will make AIs more intelligent giving humans a boost as well.
“What’s actually happening is [machines] are powering all of us,” Kurzweil said during the SXSW interview. &#8220;They’re making us smarter. They may not yet be inside our bodies, but, by the 2030s, we will connect our neocortex, the part of our brain where we do our thinking, to the cloud.”
This idea is similar to <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-set-to-release-plans-about-the-neural-lace-next-month/" target="_blank">Musk&#8217;s controversial neural lace</a> and to XPRIZE Foundation chairman <a href="https://futurism.com/peter-diamandis-thinks-were-evolving-toward-meta-intelligence/" target="_blank">Peter Diamandis&#8217; &#8220;meta-intelligence&#8221; concept</a>. Kurzweil expounded on how this technology could improve human lives.
“We’re going to get more neocortex, we’re going to be funnier, we’re going to be better at music. We’re going to be sexier,” Kurzweil said during the SXSW interview. &#8220;We’re really going to exemplify all the things that we value in humans to a greater degree.”
To those who view this <a href="https://futurism.com/1-evergreen-are-we-already-living-in-the-age-of-the-cyborg/">cybernetic society</a> as more fantasy than future, Kurzweil pointing out that there are people with computers in their brains today — Parkinson’s patients. That’s how cybernetics is just getting its foot in the door, Kurzweil said. And, because it&#8217;s the nature of technology to improve, Kurzweil  predicts that during the 2030s some technology will be invented that can go inside your brain and help your memory.
So, instead of the machines-taking-over-the-world vision of the singularity, Kurzweil thinks it&#8217;ll be a future of unparalleled human-machine synthesis.
“Ultimately, it will affect everything,” Kurzweil said during the SXSW interview. “We’re going to be able to meet the physical needs of all humans. We’re going to expand our minds and exemplify these artistic qualities that we value.”
<hr />
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct errors. A previous version of this article stated that Kurzweil predicted the singularity by 2029, rather than the date an AI will pass a valid Turing test.

At the SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, Ray Kurzweil made yet another prediction: the technological singularity will happen sometime in the next 30 years.

Kurzweil Claims That the Singularity Will Happen by 2045

Get ready for humanity 2.0.

<h2>For Every Loss, an Opportunity</h2>
Google&#8217;s Chief Engineer — and one of today&#8217;s most notable futurists — <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/ray-kurzweil-biography" target="_blank">Ray Kurzweil</a> gave an interesting perspective on the looming job displacement due to intelligent automation. <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/09/24/futurist-ray-kurzweil-job-automation-loss/" target="_blank">Speaking to </a><a href="http://fortune.com/2017/09/24/futurist-ray-kurzweil-job-automation-loss/" target="_blank">Fortune</a>, the famed &#8220;future teller&#8221; dismissed most <a href="https://futurism.com/study-shows-that-minimum-wage-hikes-put-more-jobs-at-risk-of-automation/" target="_blank">people&#8217;s worries about automation</a>.<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/will-automation-steal-my-job/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2015/09/automation_home.png" alt="Will Automation Steal My Job?" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/will-automation-steal-my-job/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></figure>
&#8220;Everybody would go, &#8216;Oh, my God, we’re going to be out of work,&#8221;&#8217; Kurzweil told Fortune&#8217;s Michal Lev-Ram. &#8220;I would say, &#8216;Well, don’t worry, for every job we eliminate, we’re going to create more jobs at the top of the skill ladder.'&#8221; Kurzweil added that when people ask what these new jobs would be, he&#8217;d say, “Well, I don’t know. We haven’t invented them yet.”
&#8220;That continues to be the case, and it creates a difficult political issue because you can look at people driving cars and trucks, and you can be pretty confident those jobs will go away,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And you can’t describe the new jobs, because they’re in industries and concepts that don’t exist yet.&#8221;
Kurzweil&#8217;s optimism is a reflection of his general attitude towards the future many believe artificial intelligence will bring, and with it the supposed <a href="https://futurism.com/experts-weigh-in-on-ai-and-the-singularity/" target="_blank">technological singularity</a> which <a href="https://futurism.com/kurzweil-claims-that-the-singularity-will-happen-by-2045/" target="_blank">he predicted would happen in 2045</a>.
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<h2>Eyes on the Future</h2>
Throughout the interview, the general trend was towards asking Kurzweil about <a href="https://futurism.com/ray-kurzweils-most-exciting-predictions-about-the-future-of-humanity/" target="_blank">his predictions for the future</a> — after all, he&#8217;s had an impressive batting-average when it comes to his predictions. &#8220;If you Google how my predictions have fared, you’ll get a 150-page paper analyzing 147 predictions I made about the year 2009, which I wrote in the late ’90s—86% were correct, 78% were exactly to the year,&#8221; he said.
The only thing he didn&#8217;t quite get right was his prediction about self-driving cars, which he thought would be around by 2009. &#8220;It’s not completely wrong. There actually were some self-driving cars back then, but they were very experimental.&#8221;<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/age-automation-welcome-next-great-revolution/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/02/home_v1.jpg" alt="The Age of Automation: Welcome to the Next Great Revolution" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/age-automation-welcome-next-great-revolution/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></figure>
Kurzweil also gave his two-cents on the matter of <a href="https://futurism.com/bill-gates-says-we-shouldnt-panic-about-artificial-intelligence/" target="_blank">AI&#8217;s potential dangers</a>, and as the top guy behind Google&#8217;s AI and machine learning efforts, he is considered an expert on the subject. He explained that technology &#8220;has always been a double-edged sword, since fire kept us warm but burned down our houses. It’s very clear that overall human life has gotten better, although technology amplifies both our creative and destructive impulses.&#8221;
He explained:
<blockquote>A lot of people think things are getting worse, partly because that’s actually an evolutionary adaptation: It’s very important for your survival to be sensitive to bad news. A little rustling in the leaves may be a predator, and you better pay attention to that. All of these technologies are a risk. And the powerful ones—biotechnology, nanotechnology, and A.I.—are potentially existential risks.</blockquote>
Kurzweil knows the value of keeping your sights on the future without removing one&#8217;s eye from the past. Yes, like any technology before it, AI will have its good and bad sides. Instead of being all glum about it, though, Kurzweil remains positive. &#8220;I think if you look at history, though, we’re being helped [by technology] more than we’re being hurt.&#8221;

Instead of skynet, automation may bring better jobs.

Ray Kurzweil says machines won't take over our jobs

Google's Chief Engineer and renowned futurist Ray Kurzweil thinks the future job market will include new high-end replacements for the soon-to-be automated.

Ray Kurzweil Says Machines Won’t Take Over Our Jobs

"For every job we eliminate, we're going to create more jobs."

Today&#8217;s artificial intelligence (AI) systems are, no doubt, considerably advanced. There are now intelligent machine learning algorithms capable of driving vehicles, assisting doctors, or even engaging in art and in almost-human conversation. However, despite AI programmed as artificial deep neural networks, these are still far from <a href="https://futurism.com/human-level-ai-are-probably-a-lot-closer-than-you-think/?src=featured" target="_blank">actually mimicking</a> what the human brain is capable of.
Renowned futurist and Google engineer Ray Kurzweil thinks that the key to human-level AI is a master algorithm, and he believes that the brain holds a blueprint to this. The famous inventor and thinker, known for his mostly accurate<a href="https://futurism.com/ray-kurzweils-most-exciting-predictions-about-the-future-of-humanity/" target="_blank"> predictions about future technologies</a>, said that the <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/88783/9-brainy-facts-about-neocortex">brain&#8217;s neocortex</a> — that part of the brain that&#8217;s responsible for intelligent behavior — consists of roughly 300 million modules that recognize patterns. These modules are self-organized into hierarchies that turn simple patterns into complex concepts.
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Despite neuroscience advancing by leaps and bounds over the years, we still haven&#8217;t quite figured out how the neocortex works. Kurzweil argued that these multiple modules &#8220;all have the same algorithm,&#8221; he said in the video by the <a href="https://su.org/about/" target="_blank">Singularity University</a> posted above. &#8220;The mathematics of thinking, I think, is being understood,&#8221; Kurzweil added, &#8220;but I would not claim that we understand it fully. But we&#8217;re getting more and more hints as we learn more and more about the human brain.&#8221;
Perhaps soon enough, we&#8217;ll figure out that master algorithm and understand our brains better. Then we&#8217;ll either be able to make better AI — or AI that&#8217;s better than us. It&#8217;s worth finding out.

Neurons

Ray Kurzweil is a famous futurist who's always banked on the coming of the singularity — when artificial intelligence overcomes human intelligence.

Ray Kurzweil: There’s a Blueprint for the Master Algorithm in Our Brains

We're close to learning how to write it. 

<h2>Perceived Instability</h2>
Ray Kurzweil, a leading futurist, author, inventor, and the head of Google&#8217;s engineering lab, has made some impressively accurate <a href="https://futurism.com/ray-kurzweils-most-exciting-predictions-about-the-future-of-humanity/?src=featured">predictions about the future</a>. However, this may not be the best news for the burgeoning cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. Kurzweil spoke at the Exponential Finance Summit in New York City late last week and he had some less than flattering things to say about the currency. While he may see the value in the decentralization of currency, he doesn&#8217;t feel like Bitcoin is the way forward.
He explained:
<blockquote>Currencies like the dollar have provided reasonable stability. Bitcoin has not. And it’s not clear to me that the whole mining paradigm can provide that type of stability… We’ve seen tremendous instability with bitcoin, so I wouldn’t put my money into it. I certainly do think there could be alternatives to national currencies emerging in the future. Algorithmic ones are a possibility, I just don’t think we’ve arrived at the right algorithm yet.</blockquote>
<figure class="wp-caption"><img class="wp-image-86334 size-large aligncenter" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/06/480502078_7f9b6e033f_z.jpg" alt="Image credit: edkohler/Flickr" width="640" height="380" />Image credit: edkohler/Flickr[/caption]</figure>
<h2>Bitcoin Bubble?</h2>
Kurzweil is not the only high-profile Bitcoin skeptic or opponent. Billionaire investor <a href="https://futurism.com/mark-cuban-asserts-that-bitcoin-is-not-currency/">Mark Cuban</a> spoke out about Bitcoin last week, denouncing it as a currency and discussing it as a bubble. Kurzweil&#8217;s comments echo these sentiments, especially with his view of the cryptocurrency&#8217;s instability. However, Daniel Roberts from <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ray-kurzweil-bitcoin-wouldnt-put-money-182013910.html?soc_src=mail&amp;soc_trk=ma">Yahoo! Finance</a> sees Kurzweil&#8217;s view of that instability as an oversimplification. When looked at in the long term, Bitcoin is showing steady gains.
Bitcoin has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent weeks as prices have surpassed $3,000 (albeit briefly). In the <a href="http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-price-1000-january-1-2017/">first moments of 2017</a>, Bitcoin could barely reach the $1,000 mark. As of today, the cryptocurrency stands at more than $2,550.
Bitcoin is powered by blockchain technology. A blockchain is a decentralized ledger that allows for complete anonymity, security, and transparency for all transactions taking place on the ledger. Kurzweil is more optimistic about blockchain, saying, &#8220;I think once we can demonstrate confidence, then yes, a blockchain currency makes sense, and being able to document transactions securely, but there’s a lot to work out.”
In an effort to <a href="https://futurism.com/blockchain-faces-legal-questions-widespread-use/">work out those kinks</a>, many companies and even some countries are adopting blockchain technology. Some countries are even exploring switching their <a href="https://futurism.com/taken-bitcoins-rival-just-caught-russias-attention/">national currencies</a> over to cryptocurrencies. We are in the early stages of its development, but this could go down as one of the few predictions Kurzweil gets wrong.
Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

Renowned author, futurist, inventor and Google's head of engineering, Ray Kurzweil, spoke on his reticence to embrace bitcoin. He is not the only expert to have their qualms about the burgeoning digital currency.

Ray Kurzweil Says He Wouldn’t Put His Money in Bitcoin but Doesn’t Dismiss Blockchain

He cites instability as a major concern.

<a href="http://www.kurzweiltech.com/aboutray.html">Ray Kurzweil</a>, Google&#8217;s director of engineering, is a well-known futurist who seems to have a penchant for accurate predictions. Most recently, he has again reiterated his prediction that <a href="https://futurism.com/kurzweil-claims-that-the-singularity-will-happen-by-2045/" target="_blank">the so-called technological singularity will happen by 2045</a>. For Kurzweil, this doesn&#8217;t translate to an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario courtesy of artificially intelligent (AI) machines. Rather, it means human beings will become powered by machines.
Kurzweil believes that, as part of this human-machine melding, nanobots will inhabit our bodies by the 2030s. While flowing through our arteries, these microscopic robots would keep us healthy and transmit our brains onto the cloud.
Another futurist, Dave Evans, founder and CTO of Silicon Valley stealth startup <a href="https://www.stringify.com/">Stringify</a>, gave his thoughts about Kurzweil&#8217;s nanobot idea in an interview with James Bedsole on February.
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Evans explained that he thinks such a merging of technology and biology isn&#8217;t at all farfetched. In fact, he described three stages as to how this will occur: the wearable phase (where we are today), the embeddable phase (where we&#8217;re headed, with <a href="https://futurism.com/ntu-develops-new-wireless-smart-chip/">neural implants</a> and such), and the replaceable phase.
Does Evans agree with Kurzweil&#8217;s idea of nanobots flowing inside our bodies? Check out the rest of his answer in the video embedded here.

Nanorobot on pin

Enhanced Humans

In an interview with James Bedsole, Futurist Dave Evans explained what the thought of Ray Kurzweil's prediction of nanobots in the body by 2030.

Kurzweil: By 2030, Nanobots Will Flow Throughout Our Bodies

This fleet of tiny robots would keep you healthy and connected to the cloud.

<h2>Supercomputers to Superintelligence</h2>
Here’s an experiment that fits all ages: approach your mother and father (if they’re asleep, use caution). Ask them gently about that time before you were born, and whether they dared think at that time that one day everybody will post and share their images on a social network called “Facebook”. Or that they will receive answers to every question from a mysterious entity called “Google”. Or enjoy the services of a digital adviser called “Waze” that guides you everywhere on the road. If they say they figured all of the above will happen, kindly refer those people to me. We’re always in need of good futurists.
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-dawn-of-the-singularity/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/03/singularity_home-600x600.png" alt="A Singularity Primer, For Kids!" width="360" height="360" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-dawn-of-the-singularity/">CLICK TO VIEW THE FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
The truth is that very few thought, in those olden days of yore, that technologies like supercomputers, wireless network or artificial intelligence will make their way to the general public in the future. Even those who figured that these technologies will become cheaper and more widespread, failed in imagining the uses they will be put to, and how they will change society. And here we are today, when you’re posting your naked pictures on Facebook. Thanks again, technology.
History is full of cases in which a new and groundbreaking technology, or a collection of such technologies, completely changes people’s lives. The change is often so dramatic that people who’ve lived before the technological leap have a very hard time understanding how the subsequent generations think. To the people before the change, the new generation may as well be aliens in their way of thinking and seeing the world.
These kinds of dramatic shifts in thinking are called Singularity – a phrase that is originally derived from mathematics and describes a point which we are incapable of deciphering its exact properties. It’s that place where the equations basically go nuts and make no sense any longer.
The singularity has risen to fame in the last two decades largely because of two thinkers. The first is the scientist and science fiction writer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernor_Vinge">Vernor Vinge</a>, who <a href="http://mindstalk.net/vinge/vinge-sing.html">wrote in 1993</a> that –
“Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended.”
The other prominent prophet of the Singularity is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil">Ray Kurzweil</a>. In his book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Singularity-Near-Humans-Transcend-Biology/dp/0143037889">The Singularity is Near</a>, Kurzweil basically agrees with Vinge but believes the later has been too optimistic in his view of technological progress. Kurzweil believes that by the year 2045 we will experience the greatest technological singularity in the history of mankind: the kind that could, in just a few years, overturn the institutes and pillars of society and completely change the way we view ourselves as human beings. Just like Vinge, Kurzweil believes that we’ll get to the Singularity by creating a super-human artificial intelligence (AI). An AI of that level could conceive of ideas that no human being has thought about in the past, and will invent technological tools that will be more sophisticated and advanced than anything we have today.
Since one of the roles of this AI would be to improve itself and perform better, it seems pretty obvious that once we have a super-intelligent AI, it will be able to create a better version of itself. And guess what the new generation of AI would then do? That’s right – improve itself even further. This kind of a race would lead to an intelligence explosion and will leave old poor us – simple, biological machines that we are – far behind.
<h2>Population of Einsteins</h2>
If this notion scares you, you’re in good company. A few of the most widely regarded scientists, thinkers and inventors, like Steven Hawking and Elon Musk, have already expressed their concerns that super-intelligent AI could escape our control and move against us. Others focus on the great opportunities that such a singularity holds for us. They believe that a super-intelligent AI, if kept on a tight leash, could analyze and expose many of the wonders of the world for us. Einstein, after all, was a remarkable genius who has revolutionized our understanding of physics. Well, how would the world change if we enjoyed tens, hundreds and millions ‘Einsteins’ that could’ve analyzed every problem and find a solution for it?
Similarly, how would things look like if each of us could enjoy his very own “Doctor House”, that constantly analyzed his medical state and provided ongoing recommendations? And which new ideas and revelations would those super-intelligences come up with, when they go over humanity’s history and holy books?
Already we see how AI is starting to change the ways in which we think about ourselves. The computer “Deep Blue” managed to beat Gary Kasparov in chess in 1997. Today, after nearly twenty years of further development, human chess masters can no longer beat on their own even an AI running on a laptop computer. But after his defeat, Kasparov has created a new kind of chess contests: ones in which humanoid and computerized players collaborate, and together reach greater successes and accomplishments than each would’ve gotten on their own. In this sort of a collaboration, the computer provides rapid computations of possible moves, and suggests several to the human player. Its human compatriot needs to pick the best option, to understand their opponents and to throw them off balance.
Together, the two create a centaur: a mythical creature that combines the best traits of two different species. We see, then that AI has already forced chess players to reconsider their humanity and their game.
In the next few decades we can expect a similar singularity to occur in many other games, professions and other fields that were previously conserved for human beings only. Some humans will struggle against the AI. Others will ignore it. Both these approaches will prove disastrous, since when the AI will become capable than human beings, both the strugglers and the ignorant will remain behind. Others will realize that the only way to success lies in collaboration with the computers. They will help computers learn and will direct their growth and learning. Those people will be the centaurs of the future. And this realization – that man can no longer rely only on himself and his brain, but instead must collaborate and unite with sophisticated computers to beat tomorrow’s challenges – well, isn’t that a singularity all by itself?

The Singularity will mark the moment when artificial intelligence becomes smarter than humans. There are a variety of theories of what that may mean.

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<h2>From Natural Selection to Intelligent Direction</h2>
In the next 30 years, humanity is in for a transformation the likes of which we&#8217;ve never seen before—and <a href="http://www.xprize.org">XPRIZE Foundation</a> founder and chairman Peter Diamandis believes that this will give birth to a new species. Diamandis admits that this might sound too far out there for most people. He is convinced, however, that we are evolving towards what he calls &#8220;meta-intelligence,&#8221; and today&#8217;s exponential rate of growth is one clear indication.
<a href="https://singularityhub.com/2016/12/21/exponential-growth-will-transform-humanity-in-the-next-30-years/">In an essay for Singularity Hub</a>, Diamandis outlines the transformative stages in the multi-billion year pageant of evolution, and takes note of what the recent increasing &#8220;temperature&#8221; of evolution—a consequence of human activity—may mean for the future. The story, in a nutshell, is this—early prokaryotic life appears about 3.5 billion years ago (bya), representing perhaps a symbiosis of separate metabolic and replicative mechanisms of &#8220;life;&#8221; at 2.5 bya, eukaryotes emerge as composite organisms incorporating biological &#8220;technology&#8221; (other living things) within themselves; at 1.5 bya, multicellular metazoans appear, taking the form of eukaryotes that are yoked together in cooperative colonies; and at 400 million years ago, vertebrate fish species emerge onto land to begin life&#8217;s adventure beyond the seas.
&#8220;Today, at a massively accelerated rate—some 100 million times faster than the steps I outlined above—life is undergoing a similar evolution,&#8221; Diamandis writes. He thinks we&#8217;ve moved from a simple Darwinian evolution via natural selection into evolution by intelligent direction.
<figure style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/p03b2ldp-1200x600.jpg" alt="Credits: Richard Bizley/SPL" width="800" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credits: Richard Bizley/SPL</figcaption></figure>
&#8220;I believe we’re rapidly heading towards a human-scale transformation, the next evolutionary step into what I call a “Meta-Intelligence,” a future in which we are all highly connected—brain to brain via the cloud—sharing thoughts, knowledge and actions,&#8221; he writes.
<h2>Change is Coming</h2>
Diamandis outlines the next stages of humanity&#8217;s evolution in four steps, each a parallel to his four evolutionary stages of life on Earth. There are four driving forces behind this evolution: our interconnected or wired world, the emergence of brain-computer interface (BCI), the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), and man reaching for the final frontier of space.
In the next 30 years, humanity will move from the first stage—where we are today—to the fourth stage. From simple humans dependent on one another, humanity will incorporate technology into our bodies to allow for more efficient use of information and energy. This is already happening today.
The third stage is a crucial point.
<blockquote>Enabled with BCI and AI, humans will become massively connected with each other and billions of AIs (computers) via the cloud, analogous to the first multicellular lifeforms 1.5 billion years ago. Such a massive interconnection will lead to the emergence of a new global consciousness, and a new organism I call the Meta-Intelligence.</blockquote>
This brings to mind another futuristic event that many are eagerly anticipating: <a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-dawn-of-the-singularity/" target="_blank">the technological singularity</a>. &#8220;Within a quarter century, nonbiological intelligence will match the range and subtlety of human intelligence,&#8221; <a href="http://www.singularity.com/qanda.html" target="_blank">said notable futurist Ray Kurzweil</a>, explaining the singularity.
<figure style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/human.robot_01.png" alt="Credits: Lovelace Turing" width="800" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credits: Lovelace Turing</figcaption></figure>
&#8220;It will then soar past it because of the continuing acceleration of information-based technologies, as well as the ability of machines to instantly share their knowledge.&#8221; Kurzweil predicts that this will happen by 2045—within Diamandis&#8217; evolutionary timeline. &#8220;The nonbiological intelligence created in that year will be one billion times more powerful than all human intelligence today.&#8221;
The fourth and final stage marks humanity&#8217;s evolution to becoming a <a href="https://futurism.com/?s=multiplanetary+species" target="_blank">multiplanetary species</a>. &#8220;Our journey to the moon, Mars, asteroids and beyond represents the modern-day analogy of the journey made by lungfish climbing out of the oceans some 400 million years ago,&#8221; Diamandis explains.
Buckle up: we have an exciting future ahead of us.

Peter Diamandis, founder and chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, thinks the human species is headed for an evolutionary transformation.
The evolution of life has slowly unfolded over 3.5 billion years; but its pace has rapidly increased in recent years. Diamandis believes this heralds the next, exciting stages of human evolution. 

/Ray Kurzweil

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